The present invention relates to a variable capacity swash plate type compressor adapted for use in an air conditioner for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a piston suitable for use in an automotive air conditioning compressor in which the piston includes an associated swash plate to minimize the bending moment exerted thereon.
Generally, a piston type compressor for use in an automotive air conditioning system comprises a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinder bores. A plurality of pistons are slidably disposed in the respective cylinder bores and reciprocate by, for example, a swash plate in the cylinder bores. In a variable capacity swash plate type compressor with a mechanism varying an inclination angle of the swash plate, a single-headed piston is generally used. The single-headed piston includes a body with a head, and support portion for receiving shoes which convert rotation of the swash plate into reciprocation of the pistons. However, a bending moment acts on the pistons due to force exerted deflectively on the pistons during operation of the compressor. Accordingly, the bending moment causes the deformation of pistons, and thus, a contact portion between the pistons and the cylinder bores is abraded deflectively.